Link Learns to Talk
by Shyrie Arliana Jumlin
Summary: Explained in the 1st chapter
1. Chapter 1

Link Learns to Talk

Listen up, all you Zelda freaks! This one is going to be great! I came up with the idea after playing hours of MM and OOT. I haven't been able to put down my pen for a week because of all the explanation ideas of why Link never talks. (Except for the obvious one of video game programmers, but I mean who believes that one?) Anyways, hope you love it and R&R. Oh! This is one of my more recent stories so it shouldn't be too bad.

Disclaimer: I have a Zelda DSLite, Phantom Hourglass (DS) Zelda Collector's Edition Gamecube Gamepak (original Legend of Zelda game, Zelda II- The Adventures of Link, MM, OOT, and 10 min. WW demo), a porcelain pendant Ocarina, a Large Sweet Potato Ocarina and an XL Sweet Potato Ocarina, (songbook included) I LOVE ZELDA!!!

Chapter One: No where to go (semi-spoiler)

Time & place: After OOT before MM

IT was just another pleasant day in the land of Hyrule. After his final battle with Ganondolf and peace restored to the region, Link had gone back in time to his childhood years and sealed the entrance to the Chamber of Sages and shattered the three sacred stone, assuring that no one ever would be able to bring the kind of pain and turmoil that Ganondolf had brought. With his future sealed and most of his friends Sages, Link realized he had nowhere to go. He couldn't go back to the Kokairi Forest because he was Hyrulean. So he went to the Lon Lon Ranch to ask Malon's father, Talon, for help. Navi, though she was supposed to go back to the forest and join another unfairyed child, had stayed with him an understood his dilemma. SO she asked for him. They found Talon in the stable.

"Um…excuse us," she said to the ranch owner.

"Yah…what do ya want?" he asked, rudely, while trying to unsaddle a particularly aggressive horse.

"May we have a word?"

"Who goes 'round askin' if they can 'have a word'?" He was obviously not paying attention because he still had his back towards the pair. But when he got the harness off, he turned around. His rudeness evaporated instantaneously.

"Oh, Link! I didn't know you was here! And Navi! Why, you look bright as a new-washed cuccoo. How ya been? Ya haven't been searchin' out trouble again, have ya?"

"No, we fixed that problem, didn't we Link?" she turned to him and he nodded with gusto.

"No, I think him and I have had our fair share of evil. We almost didn't make it through that last one! So link and I have decided to hang our gear and relax with a long vacation."

The big, burly man threw up him arms and replied, "That's great news. the two of ya deserve a break." He started fumbling with the door locks of the horse enclosures.

"Hut we're in a bit of a snag," Navi persisted, hovering beside his head. Link just kind of stood back, stretching.

"Oh?" Talon questioned the fairy.

"See, we can't go back to the forest because Link doesn't rightfully belong there and Zelda is far too busy for us to even consider asking her or her father for a room. Most everyone we knew turned out to be Sages and we can't live among them…That'd just be weird…" She paused to think about that. "Actually," She turned towards Link again. "Did we even think of that before we…," she started to ask but Talon had turned back around quickly, boldly stating, "Of course the two of ya can stay here!" Navi was so startled, she nearly hit the ceiling. Link was surprised too, landing square on his ass.

"As long as ya help little Malon with the ranch handlin' and help 'round the house, ya welcome to stay here long as ya like. I got a spare room next to the one upstairs I ain't usin' so let's 'round up the rest of them horses and find Malon. She can help ya move in."

And with that, the two heroes had found a place to stay.

End chapter

Short, I know but the next one will be longer. Plus, sorry if I offended any Southerners with Talon's speech. I was trying for a Southern accent; tried and failed. If any are interested in purchasing a OOT replica ocarina, go to .com. They'll charge you an arm and a leg but you can get all types of flutes and CDs, not to mention OOT replica ocarinas complete with gold Triforce symbol. Check it out!


	2. Chapter 2

Okay I'm back and you're back so let's get cracking!

Disclaimer: Never underestimate a girl with an Ocarina and a music studio! She will not see the light of day until she had figured out all the know Zelda songs of Ocarina, guitar, and piano by heart!

Chapter Two: A Silent Past

In the following months, Link and Navi cleaned, saddled, washed, dusted, swept, unsaddled, and feed the horse, cows and house whenever Malon or her father couldn't get to it. The father-daughter pair went to Hyrule Market every afternoon to sell Lon Lon milk and shop for food necessities with the money received. Link even went down to the Zora River to catch some fish occasionally. They lived content until Talon started to notice how mute Link really was.

"Why don't ya ever talk, boy?" He asked at dinner one night.

"Oh, papa! Don't ask him such a personal question!" Malon said. "You want some more milk, Link?" she asked, turning to him. He nodded and held out his cup.

"I'm serious! He doesn't say nothing but screams and cries of battle fury! I'm startin' to wonder of your history." Link froze with a piece of fried fish halfway to his mouth. He looked at Talon with questioning eyes then cast them down into his lap.

"What do you mean by that?" Navi asked.

"I mean, where'd he come from. I know you was raised in Kokairi but if you ain't Kokairian then who are you parents?" Link slowly lowered his fork.

"I don't mean to pry but ya do all these wonderful heroics and then ya got no ma or pa to greet ya home." Navi and Malon had seen the change that took place in Link and had stopped eating but Talon just kept going.

"That's gotta be hard on a kid, I'm sure, especially on your age. What kind of parent leaves their kid behind to live a lie? That right there is what I call bad parentin'."

"Papa… please stop," Malon said quietly.

"What is it, baby?" Talon asked her. He set his food down and placed his hand on the girl's shoulder. "Did I say somethin' I shouldn't have?"

Malon didn't speak Navi did. "Yes, you did! Now look what you've done to poor Link." She floated over to his cheek and tried to comfort him. But he just sat there, hands in his lap, head down, staring at the floor. Navi tried to settle in his lap but Link shoved, sending her to the back wall, stood, and ran to their room.

The room was silent. After a few minutes, Malon got up and started collecting plates and silverware, trying to resume the night. A heartbroken Navi flew from the wall over the table and blew away the crumbs with her wings, trying to help. Talon was left to stare at Link's seat with remorse for what he had said.

Link had closed the door and was now on the bed, hugging his knees. Talon was right and he knew it. No matter how hard it hurt, he knew what was said was true. This wasn't the first time he'd thought about his parents. For a long as he could remember, he had been on his own. Before Navi, even before Saria, the feeling of emptiness and loneliness had been a part of his daily life. He used to talk, too. But soon after he could as a very young child, he also got friends. Those friends, three older Kokairi boys, had only his worst interests in mind. Playing a dirty trick on him, his 'friends' changed Link forever.

"Okay listen up," they told him one sunny afternoon. "We aren't supposed to be telling you this but we like you so we'll let you in on a secret." The oldest of the boys leaned in towards Link ho was sitting on the grass "You want a girl, right?"

A younger, talkable Link replied, "Um… well… I never really thought…"

"Oh of course you do!" he cut him off. "Every guy wants a girl to call his own. You just haven't realized you want one yet. So…" he glanced back at two other boys with a smirk, "because we like you so much, we'll help you get one."

"Okay…" Link wasn't really sure he wanted 'a girl' as they put it but he was young a naïve and needed someone to look up to, so he trusted them.

"Hush! Now, repeat after me." The oldest boy motioned for him to stand and he did. He also cleared his throat and so did Link.

"Your ass…"

"Your ass…"

"is so huge…" The boy stretched out his arms to their full extent, expressing the size.

"is so huge…" Link made the same gesture.

"I wish I could…"

"I wish I could…"

"move my house…"

"move my house…"

"on it…"

"on it…"

"but sadly…"

"but sadly…"

"my house…"

"my house…"

"doesn't have wheels."

"doesn't have wheels."

As Link finished reciting the line, the boys looked so pleased in his eyes. What Link only found out looking back was that they weren't pleased with him but with themselves and were trying their damnedest not to laugh.

"Your ass is so huge I wish I could move my house on it but sadly my house doesn't have wheels." The oldest made Link repeat it over and over until he was sure the victim had it down.

"Now," he said, "let's try it out."

"But wait," Link protested. "If I say that to a girl, won't she be mad at me?"

"What? Naw!" The boys reassured him. "Girls love it when you even slightly suggest living with them. Come on, we'll show you." The oldest took Link under his arm and scouted out a girl. "You see that girl over there?" He pointed over a stream to a girl with green hair off by herself, sitting on a tree stump. Link knew her only as Saria and the girl he had had a crush on since seeing her. But he wasn't near brave enough to go up and talk to her.

"Yeah…" Link said, reluctantly.

"Go over there and say that line. You two will be inseparable, we promise."

"I don't know. Are you sure about this?"

"Positive. Now go!" The boys pushed him in the girl's general direction. Link stumbled and fell right into the water! He pushed himself up and looked back to the boys for support. They quickly stopped their snickering and gave him 6 thumbs up. He turned back to find Saria looking at him. She smiled and waved. He smiled and waved then made a made dash across the water to stand in front of her. Her green eyes and hair were even more radiant up close.

"Hi," she said to him cheerfully. "My name's Saria. What's yours?"

"I… my name… is…"_Oh gosh! I can't believe I forgot my name!_

As he stood there infront of the person he liked most, his hands went clammy and his voice began to shake.

"My name…" _Oh come on, think! Blink? Kink? Stink?_

Link was so terrified of talking to her that he had forgotten everything about himself, including the line.

_Pink?_

All the while Saria sat, patiently waiting.

_Zinc? Link? Link!_

"My name's Link!" he yelled. And with his name came his name the line.

"Well, nice to meet you, Link. I hope we can be friends."

But Link didn't want Saria as a friend. He wanted her to be his girlfriend!

"Your ass is so huge I wish I could move my house on it but sadly my house doesn't have wheels!"

The area around the tree stump was quiet. Link felt really bad after he said it and seeing Saria stunned into silence only made him feel worse.

"I'm sorry Saria," he said quickly. "I just thought I didn't ant your friendship but your hea…"

"Don't you ever," she said, slow and controlled but hotly, "never ever ever say anything like that to a girl again." And with that she got up, walked closer to him and slapped him across the cheek. Hard enough was the slap that he would have a red handprint across his face for the remainder of the day. His heart sank as he watched her walk away and ever farther as he saw the three boys who he had thought were his friends laughing hysterically at him. But the silence around him seeped into his mind and he didn't hear the laughing. He didn't hear anything. He had thought that maybe Saria was right, that maybe he shouldn't say anything to a girl, no anyone, ever again. _All it causes is hurt and sadness when I say something so if I don't say anything I won't cause any harm._ That is what he thought at the time.

But so deep went his longing for love of any kind that the slap had not only penetrated Link's young body and conscience but also his subconscious. His mind felt the blow as an attack at his voice and to prevent from farther attacks, Link unconsciously muted his own voice. The silence that surrounded him at that very moment also permeated the deepest reaches of his mind, adding to Link's internal need for protection. Once he found out he literally couldn't talk to anyone, it was too late to fix. The damage had been done and now Link only yelled as a feeble attempt to reverse his own curse. Navi didn't even know how it had happened. She knew him as a mute, brave and interactive child and she didn't mind or question it one bit.

End Chapter

Yeah, I know. Why did I have to have it be a psychological answer? But I'm a 'Sybil' kind of girl and I kind of like the idea of being traumatized into muteness. R&R your thoughts on my explanation of Link's voice and comment on how I'm doing so far. Come again!


	3. Chapter 3

We is back with another edition to the story of why Link never talks. New character! I got another someone in this chapter so check it! Back to the action!

Chapter Three: The Road To Recovery

At first glace, everything at the ranch seemed normal. But Talon, Malon, and especially Navi had took notice of Link's behavior when doing his daily workload. He would sweep the floors and stable half-ass, would slam doors and windows open or close, wouldn't look anyone in the face or acknowledge them. He was pissed and fuming. After a week or two of this, Talon decided that something needed to be done or else no one would come to the ranch with a fuming worker! On this day, Link had shut the horses up in the stable from the approaching storm, slamming it locked and sat in the middle of the coral ring behind the two buildings. The sky had darkened and flashes of lightning could be seen in the distance.

Talon walked up, ready with an umbrella.

"What are ya doin', sittin' there like a frog on a log? A storm's comin' and you're just sittin' there. Come in before ya get swamped."

Link, who had been sitting with his back turned towards the man, shook his head 'no' ever so slightly.

"Why not? You wanna get hit by lightnin' or something?"

Link nodded, again barely moving an inch.

"That's crazy talk! No one wants to get hit by lightnin'!"

Link nodded again at the reference to lightning. Talon was silent for a moment than checked the skies. He had a few minutes before it would rain on them so he sat next to Link on the coral dirt.

"Tell me why ya would want such a terrible thin' to happen," he said, choosing his words carefully.

Link couldn't tell him why so he drew it out in the dirt between them. With his finger, he drew a downward zigzag then next to it an equal's sign. Pointing two arrows from the sign, he drew a skull with a hat at one end of an arrow and a circle with a pointed end at the other. Inside the circle he wrote "Navi!' When Link paused and wiped the remaining dirt from his finger, Talon looked over the symbols and right away understood.

"So ya want to be hit because ya think it will make ya talk, and if it don't make ya talk, then ya want to be killed by it?"

A nod.

Talon, though shaken, wasn't surprised. "That's seems a bid of an overkill, don't ya think?"

No said the motion.

Talon was getting antsy and checked his time. The rain was almost here and with it was lightning. He knew instinctually that if he didn't talk Link out of his crazy idea he would never be able to get him out of the rain willingly.

"Look, I know your upset with the way things are but getting' struck by lightnin' ain't gonna solve nothin'. Now listen," he said, opening up his umbrella. No sooner had he done so then the rain started pouring down, soaking everything around them.

"I have a friend in the marketplace that may be able to help," Talon yelled over the rain and thunder. Link didn't respond so Talon thought he didn't hear him. He bent over almost touching his ear and yelled, "I know someone who may be able to help."

Link had heard him both times but didn't budge from his now muddy spot. Instead he raised his hand and tried to shoo him away. Talon sat back, baffled as to how to proceed. He knew getting the boy out of the storm willingly was out of the question but unwillingly was still an option. Talon stood up and Link, thinking he was going to give up, relaxed his shoulders. Then unexpectantly, he was being lifted in the air! After realizing Talon took hold of him and not the wind, Link began to thrash and whine, trying to get free. But Talon was big, strong, and resistant to his kicks and fists and slung him over his shoulder like a sack of horse feed.

_Link might want to get hit by lightnin' but I sure as hell don't_ and ran for shelter in the home.

After Link had calmed down a bit, Talon again told him of the man he believed could help Link.

"Ya may have meet before in your travels. He's the owner of the Happy Mask Shop that's in town and a good friend of mine," he explained.

The four of them were sitting in the living room next to a newly added fireplace to keep warm and dry. The storm had been going for a hour and it didn't look to be letting up any time soon.

"Oh I remember him!" Navi shrieked, "He's the one who gave you all those masks to sell, remember?" She nudged Link's arm. He gave a nod but remained starring at the fire, pissed beyond all reasoning.

"Yeah, we've been in there loads of times."

Malon spoke up. "You may have but I haven't been in there but once and out of curiosity's sake. But the day I did go in I saw he had one mask that stood out. I asked him if I could see it and he refused! Said I would have no need for the mask and that he was waiting for a special someone to come in for it." Link turned to look at her with sullen eyes. "But I kept asking him what it was, so he finally told me. It's called the Mask of Thought. It uses magic to turn any thought into sound!" At this Link's eyes widened with surprise and excitement.

"So ya see? The mask seller can help ya and it will be far less painful to wear a mask than be hit by lightnin'! So I'd like the two of ya to come with me into town tomorrow afternoon to ask him for help."

"But, what about the ranch?" Navi protested.

"Malon can stay and take over the ranch while we're gone."

Link looked from Malon to Talon then to Navi. Navi questioned Malon, "Are you sure you don't mind? I mean, we can always arrange to go another day, if you like?"

"No, it's perfectly fine. I don't mind," the girl stated.

"So, what do ya think? Ya wanna go?" Talon questioned. Link nodded with hesitation.

"Then it's settled, tomorrow, we go to the mask shop but tonight, we wait." All four looked out the window to find rain still drowning the area.

Even after a dinner of leftover fish sandwich, dinner clean-up and a round of Super Cuccoo Finder, the rain had not let up. Only when everyone had settled down for bed did the rain seem to slow and by morning the sky was cloudless. Link had woken up to the smell of eggs and toast. Midmorning had come and everyone had eaten, cleaned up and was ready to head off to town. With cows and cart in hand, Link, Navi and Talon were off and within the hour were crossing the bridge into town.

Before Link could run off to find the mask shop, he and Navi had to help Talon set up for the rest of the day. Tables, bottles, pails, a bench and hay were set down and they were ready. Pinning the cows between a building wall, the cart and the table, Talon left to escort Link and Navi to the shop. Once there, he said to return to the stand when ready. Link nodded and Talon raced back to the awaiting customers. Link and Navi opened the shop door, pausing only for a breath, then entered.

The shop itself wasn't that big but inside there had to be hundreds, if not, thousands of masks hanging from every available surface. The two comrades admired the tribal masks, the fairy masks; Link even recognized the bunny hood mask he had sold the runner in Hyrule Field hanging next a mask he didn't know. Not among the masks were any that Link would have thought to be the Mask of Thought. Link went to the counter and rang the bell. The mask seller stepped out from the back, carrying a parcel, came right up to them and knelt to their height.

"I've been waiting for you to come," the mask seller said. "This mask came in and I knew it was meant for you and you alone." The man held out the parcel. Link took it and the man remained on his knee.

"I'm sure the little girl who came by a few days ago told you about that mask. I knew she would." he smiled gently and rose to his feet. "Somehow, I know I can trust the young with my masks and their secrets rather than the old." He walked back to the counter. Link, thinking that he couldn't just take the mask, started to dig out his wallet, but the mask seller stopped him.

"No, no," he said, "That mask is a gift from me to you. You do not have to pay to receive a gift. Though before you leave, must tell you something very important about that mask." He paused. "Yes, it is true that that mask has the power to convert thought into speech but it is only a temporary fix in the event someone won't or can't talk. It is by no means a permanent solution. I give you this mask with caution. If you do become dependent on the mask's power, you will suffer terrible consequences." The man stopped and looked at Link and Navi. "I have warned you so that is all." Then the two turned and exited to shop, not knowing what to say. They had just been given an invaluable tool for free.

"This mask," Navi said to the boy as they walked back o the milk stand, "could very well be the first step on your road to recovery, Link."

Link held the package with both hands and looked at it.

_Yeah_, he thought,_ I hope so._

End Chapter

This is the longest chapter so far so I hope you didn't get bored reading it. If you haven't guessed my new character is was the Mask seller. (Yeah, mind boggling, isn't it?) I had hoped to write more about the ask shop and its owner but there wasn't much to be said. If some of you are confused about the 'trust the young, not the old' statement the mask seller said, let me clear it up before my hand falls off from writing.

This story is set in between games. Even though MM came out before OOT in the plotline, it makes more sense for Link to have defeated Ganon then not defeated Skull Kid until after. So when the mask seller says that he trusts the kids over the adults, he truly means it. But ask him if he trusts all kids after MM and he will surely tell you he wouldn't trust anybody with his masks anymore.

So that's that. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to bed because I wrote this whole chapter at 11 and night and my hand is starting to kill me so 'night y'all. *zzz…*


End file.
